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visitors smell lilacs at the Arnold Arboretum

Lilacs are blooming in the Arboretum throughout the month of May, not only on Lilac Sunday! Join our enthusiastic docents on a 45-minute amble up the hill from the ponds to see the lilacs, enjoy their scents, and hear the stories of the many different lilacs in our collection.

This tour covers around a quarter mile in distance on asphalt roadways. The slope of the roadway near the collection is moderate.

Ticket sales close 2 hours before the event. Visitors are welcome to walk up and join the tour. Registration is encouraged, but not required. Parking can be limited, so please give yourself extra time to arrive.

Weather Policy: Tours will be canceled in cases of the following weather conditions: severe wind, snow, ice, thunder or lightning events; temperatures over 90 degrees; and temperatures below 20 degrees. Tours may be canceled due to other weather events at the discretion of Arboretum staff. In the case of cancelation, you will be contacted by Arboretum staff no later than 2 hours before the start of the event.

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Ticket
Free
29 available

Date & Time

Location

Ponds

Directions

By subway

Take the MBTA Orange Line to its southern end—Forest Hills. Exit through the door marked “Arnold Arboretum,” cross Washington Street, and walk up Arborway. Enter the Arboretum through Forest Hills Gate on your left. Continue for a tenth of a mile to the intersection. The Ponds will be on your right and ahead.

By bus

Take the #39 bus to the Forest Hills MBTA station. Cross Washington Street and walk up Arborway to the Arboretum’s Forest Hills Gate on your left. Enter the gate and continue for a tenth of a mile to the intersection. The Ponds will be on your right and ahead.

By car

There is public parking on Arborway after Arborway Gate or before Forest Hills Gate, including designated accessible spots. If you are entering through Arborway Gate, walk 10 minutes down Meadow Road to reach the Ponds. If you are entering through Forest Hills Gate, walk three minutes down the road to the intersection and the Ponds will be on your right. Make sure you don’t drive past Forest Hills Gate, as it will be a ways before you can turn around and find more parking.